Determination of intramuscular phospholipid classes and molecular species in Gaoyou duck

In this study, intramuscular phospholipid classes and molecular species in Gaoyou duck meat were determined. Classes of phospholipids were identified and quantified by normal phase HPLC combined with UV and evaporative light scattering detectors (ELSD). The main phospholipid classes (phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine) were prepared on a semi-preparative silica gel column by HPLC. Reverse phase HPLC was coupled in parallel with both an ELSD and a mass spectrometry in order to characterise molecular species of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). The results showed that Gaoyou duck meat had high quantities of PC and PE (64.66% and 28.10% of total phospholipids, respectively). Arachidonic acid was mainly present in PE and formed molecular species containing a saturated fatty acid, such as stearic or myristic acid; however, oleic acid together with palmitic or stearic acid formed the main molecular species in PC. The content of the molecular species with polyunsaturated fatty acids in PE accounted for 98.33%, while that in PC only 46.20%.